October 2010

I started uploading the pictures for this blog post 8 days ago. I finally got the pictures to load but just haven't had a moment to write under neath them.

This posting is dedicated to Ashley and Jack's Auntie Angie who died unexpectedly yesterday, October 24th. We are in a state of disbelief and shock. We will miss her very much.

Angie was a faithful blog follower. She would email me to tell me if too much time had elapsed since the last post of the kids or to tell me that she had read a post over and over again because she enjoyed seeing all the new pictures of the kids and reading about the events. I sure wish I had finished this post 8 days ago when I started it so that she could have seen it and left another comment or sent me another email.

Little Jack A Roo on 9/24, two months old . Although, not so little any more! I took him in for his two month check up on this same day. His stats: weight 13lbs 7oz (87%) and height 2' 0.25" (90 %).

Ashley and Daddy at the Wyoming Stagecoach Days.

On 9/26 we headed to the park at Big Marine. You have to pay to get into this park but it's a wonderful place. We were so lucky to have such nice weather this September and October and I was even luckier to be off on maternity leave.

Smiley boy!

Our view out of our kitchen window on a beautiful fall morning.

The same day, we also had a spectacular sunset.

Here Ashley paints with water colors with her Great Grandma.

Jack - 10 weeks and 2 days. This picture cracks me up. His eyes and his face go well with his monster shirt.

We took another trip out to Pinehaven farms. Ashley and I have a season pass. The first time we went with all of my girlfriends and their kids but AJ wasn't feeling well at all and a few days later came down with strep throat. Poor baby...we hope she never has to go through that again! Anyhow, we met Sheli and her girls Maddy and Allie at the farm. Ashley and Maddy found a few kitties to hold. Ashley carried this little kitty around for at least 20 minutes.

Jack enjoying the fun at Pinehaven.

Awwwe, so cute!

Ashley Jane - 2 days shy of 3 years 7 months

Jack Lee- 11 weeks old

Ashley holds Jack next to a huge pumpkin out at Lendt's Pumpkin patch.

Ashley posing next to a princess at Lendt's pumpkin patch.

She picked this pumpkin out for Jack.

Jack watching his big sis as she colors. Coloring is Ashley's favorite thing to do.

On 10/10/10 we took a ride on the Osceola train with Grandpa and Grandma J and Brent, Lydia and Alex. It was a beautiful fall weekend and an 80 degree day. Perfect weather...unless you are stuck on a train car with windows that don't open and absolutely no air movement. It was... HOT! By the end of the ride, Jack was down to his diaper.

After the train ride we stopped at the Apple Orchard on the way home. Ashely and her cousin, Alex posed for a few photos next to some giant pumpkins. Ashley loves Alex. Alex turned 1 in July and is almost walking. Actually, as I type this, I bet he is walking by now. These two are going to have so much fun chasing each other around.

After the train and Apple Orchard we went to Grandma and Grandpa J's for dinner and some more fun fall activities. Jumping in the leaves!

Uncle Brent, Ashley, cousin Alex and Daddy playing in the leaves.

Here's Ashley in her dance class! Dance is offered at Ashley's daycare by the local dance studio in Lindstrom. I was so excited to enroll her as it is very hard to get her to evening activities since I work an hour away from home and we don't get home in time. This was only Ashley's 2nd dance class but as I was home on my last week of maternity leave, I went up to watch her. Oh, it was so cute. Pictured is Abby, Ashley, Bene, Ava and Annika. A tongue twister of "A" names for the dance teacher!

Here is a video of the girls dancing. Again, this is only their second class... Aren't they adorable?

Have I said what a good baby Jack is? Here the little guy slept on the table as we ate our dinner. He was simply exhausted from a long day at daycare. Yep, on Monday 10/11 Jack started daycare. I worked 1/2 days from home that week as to be close to him just in case he had a hard time at daycare etc. He had a hard time adjusting to the bottles and didn't sleep well the first week but he had a much better second week and seems to be adjusting. He did get his first cold, a runny nose and congestion within a few days of starting daycare but it's hard to tell if he got it from daycare or us as we've all had it too. Poor little guy.

On 10/16 as the guys were on their annual hunting trip, the girls got together for our annual Halloween cookie decorating party. Here the girls play Simon Says in the living room.

Pictured left to right is: Maddy, Elsa, Allie, Lila, Ashley, Gracie and Violet.
The kids had so much fun playing together. Allie kept the little girls entertained with a game of hide and seek which allowed us adult girls to visit. It was very fun.

Everyone had their own plate, knife, cookie and frosting. It was a real hit.

On Sunday while Daddy was still away hunting, Ashley, Jack and I went to Tom's Pumpkin patch to meet Grandma Terry, Grandpa Randy, Uncle Doug and cousins Dougie and Dallas. Tom's pumpkin patch has a corn maze that we decided to go through. It's hard enough that they actually provide you with a map of the maze so you can find your way out! Ashley enjoyed picking up corn along the way.

Jack - 12 weeks old. I have a similar picture of Ashley at 12 weeks old. Perhaps in the next post I will post some side by side pictures of the kids at the same age, it's fun to see the similarities.